


Vengeance

by Hellokaelyn



Category: NCIS
Genre: Episode Tag: s14e11Willoughby, Episode Tag: s14e16 A Many Splendored Thing, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 07:55:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17280077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellokaelyn/pseuds/Hellokaelyn
Summary: "Life is about choices, Chen..and I've made mine"Those words replayed in her head on a constant loop since finding out who had wrote the note left for her.She had made her choice, and now it seemed she had to pay for it.





	Vengeance

**Author's Note:**

> This technically needed to be longer so I'm sorry if it was rushed!

Light in the bullpen was dimmed as the building was for the most part empty at this time of night. Darkness poured in through the windows making the orange walls look eerie. 

Ellie herself felt like the dark was closing in on her. 

Her eyes had been glued to the screen for a while now, the words she had read so many times now were forever burned into her memory. 

They hadn't expected anything different when walking into their crime scene, until they walked in to find Vance of all people standing by the body of their blonde victim. There was a note left on the body, addressed to Ellie. 

It had been sitting up on the screen since, mocking her and haunting her all at once.

_ They say delay in vengeance gives a heavier blow… It's time you pay for my brothers death, Agent Bishop.  _

Right away Gibbs and Vance told her she wasn't to leave the Navy Yard, she had protested at first but it proved useless. 

Kasie had right away ran it for fingerprints.

Results had come back as Rhys Chen...Kai Chen's younger brother they had no idea existed. He had wanted them to know who it was, even showing his face clearly on the security camera their victim had installed. 

Ellie thought back to that day. Her gun in hand pointed at Chen. Revenge and what she had considered justice filling her, choking her from the inside out.

_ “Life is about choices, Chen..and I've made mine.”  _

Those words replayed in her head on a constant loop since finding out who had wrote the note left for her. 

She had made her choice, and now it seemed she had to pay for it. 

“I'd ask if you were okay, but that would be a stupid question.” 

Ellie jumped a little at Nick's voice. She wondered how long he stood there watching her before deciding to approach. Everyone had been keeping their distance since finding out about Rhys like she was about to explode at any moment. 

“Well I'm not about to go on another man hunt if that's what you mean.” Ellie couldn't help but snap a little. 

Nick seemed to just brush it off but Ellie wished he wouldn't. 

Ellie turned to finally  _ look _ at him. Worry in his eyes was obvious to her, but there was a type of anger he was trying to hide that made a chill go down her spine. A very familiar anger. That same anger that drove her to go after Chen. 

“Nick-”

“Don't.” He growled out, his jaw tense. “This is only going to end one way, and you being hurt won't be part of it.” 

She felt a lump rise in her throat. “Nick..” She walked over to him, grabbing his hand. “I'll be fine, we'll find Rhys-”

“Ellie no offense but I don't want to just find him.” He clenched his jaw. 

“You can't just go and kill him!” She shouted in a whisper. “Not just because he threatened my life in so many words-”

“Why?” Nick said cutting her off, a fire in his eyes. “Because your life doesn't mean as much to me? Because we're just friends and coworkers?” He snatched his hand from hers. “Well guess what Ellie, Rhys wants to exact his revenge on the woman  _ I love _ . I'll do whatever I have to do to protect you, either you like it or not.” 

Ellie felt like the air in her body left her, leaving her completely breathless. 

Nick stormed off before she could snap out of it.

Her hands trembled as she walked to her desk. She knew he had feelings for her, for a guy who spent years lying undercover he sucked at hiding how he felt about her. But  _ love _ ? That part shocked her. 

Ellie dropped into her chair.

Nick loved her...and he was going to hunt down and kill Chen. 

She jumped up from her seat and  _ ran _ for MTAC where she knew Vance, Gibbs and McGee were. 

As quick as she ever had, she scanned herself in practically throwing herself into the room. 

“Nick is going to hunt down Rhys!” 

Right away a wide eyed McGee started rapidly typing away, Gibbs and Vance sharing a look.

They knew just as well as she did even though he had only walked away from her, Nick wouldn't be found. 

* * *

A week later Ellie was once again staring at the screen in the bullpen, but this time there was no darkness and she wasn't standing there alone. But none of that stopped the pit in her stomach, the ache in her heart, or the feeling of like she was drowning. 

Nick had no contact with any one for a week, and there hadn't even been a sighting. 

Until this morning when another note was sent by a third party to the Navy Yard meant for her. 

_ Revenge is near Agent Bishop. I wonder what will hurt more, the loss of someone you had..or the loss of someone you never will.  _

It didn't take her long to put the pieces together. Loss of someone she had was Qasim..the loss of someone she never will have..was Nick.

Rhys’ revenge was never about hurting her physically. It was about breaking her from the inside out. 

And as she stood there with the others getting ready to watch what was on the disc that came with the note, Ellie was terrified at what would be on it. 

She noticed McGee give a glance at her before pressing the button.

“Play it.” She said, her voice failing at sounding strong. 

McGee pressed play. 

Right away the image of an empty parking garage appeared. Her eyes right away went to the part of the screen where it showed Nick. 

He stood with his fists clenched, gun on the ground and off to the side out of reach. Rhys stood a bit ways in front of him, a gun in hand. Ellie then noticed all the others surrounding ready to jump into action if needed.

Somehow Nick had ended up in a face off with Rhys who had brought  _ a lot _ of backup.

_ “Don't mind my friends.” Rhys said with a chuckle. “I figured with how good of a fighter you are, you wouldn't be able to take down ten.” _

_ “Don't be so sure.” Nick spat out.  _

_ Rhys only looked amused. “No worries Agent Torres, they won't make a move unless you do..but you won't.” _

_ “And why's that?”  _

_ “Because…” Rhys tilted his head slightly. “You came here with one intention in mind, protecting Bishop.” _

Ellie swallowed the lump in her throat. She could feel everyone's eyes going from the screen to her. 

_ “I may be a supposed bad guy, but I do keep my word. I will not touch a single hair on her pretty little head, after all..ending you gives me exactly what I wanted.” _

A whimper she couldn't stop escaped. She felt a hand on her arm that she knew was Jack but didn't react to it. 

Suddenly the audio cut out putting them all on edge. 

When it finally came back, Ellie felt her body go cold. 

_ “She killed my brother!” Rhys yelled, voice echoing even over video. _

_ “Your brother killed the man she loved!” Nick shouted, anger clear on his face. “What did he expect her to do?!”  _

_ Rhys laughed a chilling laugh. “My brother may have killed the man she loved back then..but I'm going to kill the man she loves now.”  _

Ellie's legs shook. She felt herself pushed down into a chair, could feel the looks being thrown her way as Rhys revealed her feelings out in the open. She felt cold.

_ Rhys grinned coldly. “And I know for a fact your death Agent Torres will have a much bigger impact.”  _

The screen went black.

“McGee?” Gibbs said, his voice quiet but cutting clear through the silence. 

“There's still a few seconds lef-”

Nick's scream suddenly filled her ears.

A sound that would haunt her even years later. A sound that chilled her to her core. 

* * *

Ellie had refused to believe he was dead. Nick wouldn't be gone until she had  _ proof _ . 

Luckily it seemed she wasn't the only one who thought that way. They all worked endlessly to find Nick. Ellie herself ate just enough food to quiet her stomach or to give her fuel, but sleep was a completely other matter. 

Almost another week after watching the video, they had finally tracked down a warehouse address that they were positive Rhys was hiding out.

On the drive Ellie was thankful she was paired with Gibbs even though it was obviously just to keep an eye on her. At least Gibbs wouldn't ask her a million questions or constantly ask if she was okay. 

“Bishop-” Gibbs said as they turned onto the street. “You ready?”

She clenched her jaw. Ellie knew what he was really asking. Was she ready for what could be in the warehouse, for if Nick really was dead. 

“I'm ready.” 

Minutes later Ellie and Gibbs were walking down their half of the warehouse, whispering “Clear” as they went. 

They came to a locked door bolted from the inside. 

Gibbs stepped back and kicked it open. The sight in front of them stopped them both in their tracks.

Two bodies were off to one side of the room obviously dead. Rhys’ body was covered in blood, broken bones evident from their out of place positions. 

But Ellie's focus was Nick.

She dropped beside him, Gibbs following her. Her pants right away getting covered in the blood surrounding him. 

“Nick?” She choked out as Gibbs checked his pulse.

“He's alive but barely.” 

Gibbs quickly tossed Ellie his jacket before running out the door to lead the paramedics they had on standby through. 

Ellie let out a sob as she tried putting pressure on Nick's still bleeding wounds the best she could. Nick made a groaning noise that had her clinging to hope.

“You can't die on me now, Nick.” She said through her tears. “You have to be alive to hear me say it back!”

As she heard the running footsteps getting closer, her eyes noticed the bloody knife clutched in Nick's hand. 

Nick had fought his hardest. 

* * *

Days later Ellie finally felt like she could breathe again. 

Nick could barely keep his eyes open but still smiled at her with his drowsy medicated smile. 

“I love you, you idiot.” She whispered.

“I did it for you..Ellie.” Nick said slurring the words a little. “I..fought for you.”

Ellie rested her forehead against his. “You did good, Nick.”

“I wasn't..” He blinked trying to keep his eyes open. “I wasn't going to let another..Chen hurt you like that.” 

A tear slid down her cheek as he drifted off, their fingers still threaded together on the bed by his side. 

“Thank you.” She whispered even if he couldn't hear her.

Ellie watched Nick as he slept and knew Rhys was right. Nick's death would have had a bigger impact on her than Qasim's. 

While she had loved Qasim and was even going to say yes to his proposal, Nick had become her best friend. Her best friend, confident, and everything in between. It was a bond that could only be formed by shared loss but it had formed into so much more. Nick was her opposite in many ways but he also completed all her missing pieces. 

Ellie leaned forward and kissed the part of his cheek that wasn't cut or bruised. Nick's lips twitched upwards in his sleep making her smile. 

She lay the arm not connected to Nick's hand against the bed, resting her head against it as a makeshift pillow. As she drifted off, she dreamed of a future with Nick. A typical white picket fence house, red mailbox, large tree in the backyard with a swing, children running around with grins on their faces, and with Ellie and Nick curled up together on the steps as they watched their happily ever after.


End file.
